Insecurities
by D for Vendetta
Summary: An Elliot and Chelsea fanfiction.


**Chapter One**

It was a damp summer's night, the crickets were already singing their midnight song. The moon was bright and stars spread out across the black sky. The atmosphere, Chelsea thought, felt so romantic, so right. Too bad she was spending it alone— watering her tomatoes.

She set down the lime-green watering can and wiped sweat off of her forehead. Her stomach growled in hunger. When was the last time she had eaten a proper meal? She sighed in exhaustion and returned to watering, but the sound of footsteps stopped her in her tracks.

_Who in the world would be up in this time of night!? _Chelsea thought in alarm. The steps started to get louder, nearer. Her heart was racing in a panic. Maybe she was just overstressing the situation. Chelsea knew _everyone_ on Sunny Island—even the tourists. Nobody ever came across as suspicious or distrustful. In fact, most everyone was just as sweet as a fresh made apple pie. But her instincts still told her to run, so she headed towards the barn.

Her three cows were all sleeping peacefully on straw beds, unaware of any sudden danger. Chelsea noticed her signature red bandana was slipping, thus she tied it around her head in a loose knot. She felt protected with animals around; as if somehow they would defend her if any harm came her way. She figured that was why animals were so dear to her.

_Creaak_…her heart almost jumped out of her chest. One of the barn doors opened slowly, almost as if the mystery person was trying to add suspense before he snatched Chelsea's throat. Her mouth went dry.

A glimpse of strawberry-blonde hair became visible, then a whole face.

"Oh my gosh, Elliot!" Chelsea cried out. "You scared me to death!"

He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry." He ambled over to her, pushing his wiry glasses up. That was a recurring habit of his.

Elliot was tall, slender young gentleman with the sweetest attitude. It was a shame his sister, Natalie, shattered all of his confidence when he had so many great, quality traits to be proud of. He lived with his grandfather, Taro—who was an experienced, retired rancher who supported Chelsea in many ways and helped shape the island; his mother, Felicia, who was a very sweet, kind, middle-aged woman who sold the items Chelsea shipped into the city; and Natalie, who always wore an uninterested façade and enjoyed taunting Elliot when she was bored. It was a real question why he didn't stand up to her. It wasn't like she was that great of a person anyway.

Chelsea giggled, relieved that Elliot was Elliot, and not some crazy kidnapper. She wondered aloud what he was doing up so late.

"I could ask you the same question, ha," he chuckled heartily. His hair was messy and wild, unlike his usual straight, neatly-combed hairdo. Chelsea longed to run her fingers through it.

"Ahem," she attempted to clear her thoughts, "I asked you first."

Elliot grimaced and hung his head. His thoughtful brown eyes appeared solemn and serious. He subconsciously pushed his glassed up once again, and began to speak very quietly in an almost harsh whisper.

"I don't sleep very well—at all," he corrected himself. "I haven't really slept in two days."

Chelsea's ocean-blue eyes widened in concern, suddenly all those days seeing Elliot acting so dead beat while "running errands" at Taro's house made sense. She wanted to help; she would do _anything_ to help him.

"It's really okay, Chelsea," he grinned. His hand brushed up against hers, sending shivers down her spine.

"What do you do? Just think about Julia and stuff? Chelsea teased innocently. "She's a great catch." Elliot didn't notice, but she made a face at the name. Ugh, _Julia._

Julia was the daughter of Mirabelle, and elderly woman who ran a local animal store. She had a sort of sidekick, Vaughn, who was an animal dealer and fetched livestock for her. He was a very quiet and composed man, very serious about his job.

Although Julia probably aided her mother by doing many chores and caring for the animals in the back of the shop, Chelsea felt better thinking of her as the girl who liked to wear shirts that showed her flat, pasty belly and flirt with poor men who didn't know any better. Rumors went around about her and Elliot, and it annoyed Chelsea to no end. She didn't really understand why.

_Oh, yes you do. You just like to pretend so you don't get hurt,_ Chelsea answered her own internal conflict.

"So!" She exclaimed, attempting to drown out her mind with her mouth. "Work is hard, huh? You do a lot of stuff around there, Taro must be so proud!"

He laughed, "Yeah, but he likes you more. I guess he always wanted me to do something like he did. I know a lot about ranching, but I don't think anyone would be a better fit for this job than you."

"Oh, thanks," Chelsea blushed, smiling so wide she couldn't stop and her cheeks started to ache.

"You work hard, too!" She insisted. "Everybody should recognize that."

"Well, not as much as you. But I won't complain." He pulled on his shirt collar nervously. "Well, I should probably be getting home, not that anyone would notice anyway."

She slapped his arm lightly, "Maybe because they would be _sleeping?_ But I guarantee many people would miss you if you left."

"Like who?"

Her heartbeat started to increase rapidly all over again. The way he was looking at her, did he know? No, of course he didn't.

_He's always too busy checking out Julia in her stupid tramp-shirt, _Chelsea thought angrily.

"Taro, Felecia, Chen, Charlie, Mirabelle, Julia…" she trailed off.

Elliot smiled half-heartedly, "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, I should probably go and attempt to sleep," he joked, pushing his glasses up. She shook her head in agreement.

"Me too."

He left without another word. Chelsea stayed in the barn, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight either. All she had to do was daydream about what could've happened, and what never will.


End file.
